Peer Advisory Board

As a business owner, you likely focus on strategies to grow your business, but have you ever considered the impact of your day-to-day habits? Just like we make personal resolutions to improve ourselves, our business habits can have a profound effect on our productivity, performance, and growth.

Habits, whether good or bad, play a major role in how we spend our time. By understanding and managing them, you can build positive habits that propel your business forward and break those that hold you back.

1. Recognize the Power of Habits in Business

According to research, about 40% of our daily activities are habitual. That means if you’re working an eight-hour day, you’re likely spending more than three hours on autopilot—without consciously deciding how you’re using that time. That’s two full workdays each week spent following habits, for better or worse.

Tip: Start by recognizing that your habits drive a significant portion of your workday. If you’ve built good habits like following up with leads or regularly reviewing your business metrics, great! But if you find yourself constantly checking emails or focusing on low-priority tasks, it’s time to make a change.

2. Understand the Habit Loop

Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, explains that habits operate in a three-step loop:

• The cue: The trigger that prompts your brain to start the habit.
• The routine: The action or behavior that follows the cue.
• The reward: The benefit or payoff you receive from completing the routine, which reinforces the habit.

Tip: To change a habit, first identify the cue that sets it off. Then, adjust the routine to create a different outcome while still satisfying the reward your brain craves.

3. Break Bad Habits by Changing Your Routine

Many business owners fall into unproductive habits without realizing it. Take, for example, a business owner who noticed his close rates were dropping. After some reflection, he realized he had developed a bad habit during sales presentations: instead of engaging prospects in conversation, he would immediately launch into a scripted list of features and benefits, which was driving potential clients away.

Tip: To break the habit, he identified the cue (getting in front of a prospect) and changed the routine (engaging prospects in conversation). His reward—a better chance of closing the deal—remained the same, but the new approach was far more effective.

4. Turn Good Habits Into Daily Success Drivers

Good habits, like regularly checking in with your team, staying on top of finances, or setting daily goals, can create momentum for your business. Once established, these habits run on autopilot, freeing up mental energy for more important decisions.

Tip: Reinforce your good habits by connecting them to clear rewards, such as improved business performance or personal satisfaction. The more you experience the positive outcomes of these habits, the more ingrained they will become.

5. Challenge Yourself to Identify and Improve Your Habits

Take a moment to evaluate your current habits—both good and bad. Are they serving your business well? If not, it’s time to make changes. Start by recognizing what triggers your unproductive habits and experiment with new routines that yield better outcomes.

Tip: For example, if you find yourself losing focus during the day and checking emails constantly, try setting designated times to review your inbox and use the rest of your time for high-priority tasks.

The Bottom Line: Build Habits That Drive Business Growth

Your daily habits shape your business success more than you might realize. By understanding the habits that influence your work, you can create positive routines that enhance productivity and performance while eliminating the ones that waste time or energy.

Are Your Habits Helping or Hurting Your Business?

Evaluate your current habits. Identify the cues, routines, and rewards that drive them. Then, commit to breaking the bad ones and strengthening the good. The results could transform your business.